Recognizing the anniversary of the tragic
earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, honoring those who lost their lives,
and expressing continued solidarity with the Haitian people.

Whereas, on January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake
struck the country of Haiti;

Whereas, according to the United States Geological Survey
(USGS), the earthquake epicenter was located approximately 15 miles southwest
of the capital, Port-au-Prince;

Whereas, according to USGS, the earthquake was followed by
59 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater, the most severe measuring
6.0;

Whereas, according to the Government of Haiti, more than
230,000 people died as a result of the earthquake;

Whereas, according to the United Nations and the
International Organization for Migration, an estimated 3,000,000 people have
been directly affected by the disaster, nearly one-third of the country’s
population, and 1,300,000 people were displaced to settlements;

Whereas casualty numbers and infrastructure damage,
including to roads, ports, hospitals, and residential dwellings, place the
earthquake as the worst cataclysm to hit Haiti in over two centuries and,
proportionally, one of the world’s worst natural disasters in modern
times;

Whereas the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA)
conducted by the Government of Haiti, the United Nations, the World Bank, the
Inter-American Development Bank, and other experts estimates that damage and
economic losses totaled $7,800,000,000, approximately 120 percent of Haiti’s
gross domestic product in 2009;

Whereas the PDNA estimates that $11,500,000,000 over three
years is required for Haiti’s reconstruction and to lay the groundwork for
long-term development;

Whereas Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in
the Western Hemisphere with, prior to the earthquake, more than 70 percent of
Haitians living on less than $2 per day and a ranking of 149 out of 182
countries on the United Nations Human Development Index;

Whereas, prior to the earthquake, Haiti was still in the
process of recovering from a catastrophic series of hurricanes and tropical
storms, food shortages and rising commodity prices, and political instability,
but was showing encouraging signs of improvement;

Whereas President Barack Obama vowed the “unwavering
support” of the United States and pledged a “swift, coordinated and aggressive
effort to save lives and support the recovery in Haiti”;

Whereas Congress passed House Resolution 1021 on January
21, 2010, on a vote of 411 to 1, expressing its “deepest condolences and
sympathy for the horrific loss of life” and bipartisan “support for the
recovery and long-term reconstruction needs of Haiti”;

Whereas the response to the tragedy from the global
community, and especially from the countries of the Western Hemisphere, has
been overwhelmingly positive;

Whereas the initial emergency response of the men and
women of the United States Government, led by the United States Agency for
International Development and United States Southern Command, was swift and
resolute;

Whereas individuals, businesses, and philanthropic
organizations across the United States and throughout the international
community responded in support of Haiti and its populace during this crisis,
sometimes in innovative ways such as fundraising through text messaging, which
some estimates reveal has raised more than $40,000,000;

Whereas significant challenges still remain in Haiti as it
works to recover and rebuild;

Whereas, according to the International Organization for
Migration, approximately 1,000,000 people remain in spontaneous and organized
camps in Haiti;

Whereas, according to numerous nongovernmental
organizations and United States contractors, the pace of reconstruction has
lagged significantly behind the original emergency relief phase;

Whereas the perceived inadequacies of the international
response efforts have led to outbursts of violence;

Whereas, on October 19, 2010, an outbreak of cholera was
detected in the Lower Artibonite region;

Whereas initial efforts to contain the epidemic were
disrupted by Hurricane Tomás and resulting widespread flooding, which led to
the spreading and entrenchment of the disease throughout the country;

Whereas, according to the Haitian Ministry of Public
Health and Population, as of January 1, 2011, more than 3,650 people have died
from cholera and more than 171,300 affected;

Whereas, according to the Pan American Health Organization
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cholera could spread to as
many as 400,000 people within the first year of the epidemic, potentially
causing 8,000 deaths at the current case fatality rate;

Whereas, throughout these crises, the people of Haiti
continue to demonstrate unwavering resilience, dignity, and courage;

Whereas at the international donors conference “Towards a
New Future for Haiti” held on March 31, 2010, 59 donors pledged approximately
$6,200,000,000, including nearly $1,200,000,000 from the United States, to
support the Government of Haiti’s Action Plan for National Recovery and
Development;

Whereas the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for
Haiti estimates that of the recovery and development funds pledged for 2010,
approximately 42 percent has been disbursed; and

Whereas Haiti requires the sustained assistance from the
United States and the international community in order to confront the ongoing
cholera epidemic and promote reconstruction and development: Now, therefore, be
it

That the House of
Representatives—

(1)

honors those who lost their lives due to
the tragic earthquake of January 12, 2010;

(2)

honors the
sacrifice of the men and women of the Government of Haiti, the United States
Government, the United Nations, and the international community in their
response to those affected by the calamity;

(3)

expresses
continued solidarity with the people of Haiti as they work to rebuild their
neighborhoods, livelihoods, and country;

(4)

reaffirms its
commitment to support Haiti, in partnership with the Government of Haiti and in
coordination with other donors, in long-term reconstruction;

(5)

supports the
efforts of the Administration to prevent the spread of cholera, treat persons
who contract the disease, provide technical assistance to the Haitian Ministry
of Public Health, and improve longer-term water, sanitation, and health
systems;

(6)

urges the
President and the international community to—

(A)

continue to focus assistance on the
priorities of the Government of Haiti;

(B)

develop, improve, and scale-up
communications and participatory mechanisms to more substantially involve
Haitian civil society at all stages of the cholera and post-earthquake
responses; and

(C)

give priority to programs that protect and
involve vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons,
children, women and girls, and persons with disabilities; and

(7)

urges the President to—

(A)

continue to make available to United States
agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private volunteer organizations,
regional institutions, and United Nations agencies the resources necessary to
confront the consequences of the natural disaster;

(B)

undertake comprehensive assessments of the
long-term needs for confronting the cholera epidemic in Haiti, including for
building adequate water and sanitation infrastructure; and

(C)

continue to lead humanitarian and
development efforts with the Government of Haiti, the Haitian Diaspora, and
international actors who share in the goal of a better future for Haiti.

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